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Great Poets: Rudyard Kipling
This anthology of Kipling's most famous poems: If, Mandalay, Gunga Din is taken from the Naxos AudioBooks "Great Poets" series. Though sometimes still regarded as a product of the colonial era, Kipling touches a very popular nerve in Britain's literary tradition, and is regarded more generously now as a master of popular verse. It is often forgotten that he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 14, 2024
Kipling’s poetry to me is often humorous, sometimes sobering, but never dull. I got great delight from “Gunga Din” and “Tommy.” “If,” which I had to memorize in the 7th grade, will always make me stop and ponder for a while.
October 7, 2024
A collection of Rudyard Kipling poems. Overall I give the collection a 3.74 (rounded up to 4). Reviews below.
Gunga Din
4/5
“You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din”
A British regiment is fighting on the Indian subcontinent and have bhisti (water carriers) to help them with the struggle. The soldiers yell at the bhisti because they don’t get the water when they need/want it. The protagonist becomes injured during the battle and the bhisti Gunga Din saves him. He reflects on this and is more appreciative of the bhisti role and Gunga Din specifically.
A great poem!
The Virginity
5/5
You only lose your virginity once and that person stays with you. Similarly with a profession. Kipling draws a parallel between virginity and a retired seafarer who chooses to retire by the sea just in case they want to go out on the sea again. Just like the person who took your virginity is looked back upon.
A great poem!
The Ballad of East and West
3/5
A poem about chivalry and honor amongst men on opposite sides of a battle. An English officer and an Afghan horse thief show each other respect in this wonderful ballad.
Tommy
5/5
A story about a soldier who isn’t respected in civilian life, but is during wartime. This poem was written in 1890 and it still rings true!
The Roman Centurion’s Song
4/5
A centurion who's been serving in Britain for 40 years is ordered back “home” to Rome. His home however, is the British Isles.
A lamenting poem but well written!
Gentlemen Rankers
4/5
A soldier feels used and abused by society and is lamenting his wasted youth. He asks the reader why they wonder why he feels the need to drown himself in drink and drugs.
A somber but well-written poem.
Boots
2/5
A soldier talks about his marching through Africa by making a sing-song about his Boots. It’s quite annoying but it’s meant to be. The lines “Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different— / Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!” stuck with me because it was quite a lunatic’s poem.
The Conundrum of the Workshops
4/5
A biblical themed poem about Adam who creates things and the devil is asking “Is it Art?” to undermine the artist. An allegory to self-doubt; great poem.
Smuggler’s Song
3/5
A song about aiding smugglers in their tasks by keeping to oneself by turning a blind eye to their activities. Interesting but not exciting.
Mandalay
5/5
“On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!”
A poem about a British soldier who served in Burma and fell in love with it and with a Burmese girl. Upon returning to England, he hates it. He dislikes the crowdedness of London and the women are ugly.
The poem is great from a poetic perspective which is why I gave it 4 stars, however its theme rings a bit too imperialistic and chauvinistic for my tastes.
The Gods of the Copybook Headings
2/5
A poem on how Gods influence humanity throughout the ages. I didn’t find it very appealing.
The Betrothed
5/5
An excellent poem about a man’s love for cigars. His wife Maggie wants him to stop smoking and so he has to choose between his boxes of cigars and his betrothed.
‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’
3/5
A poem about the British imperialist soldiers fighting in Sudan against the locals. The bravery of the Sudanese are unmatched. The poem was too imperialist for me.
The Return
2/5
A soldier returns back to Britain and is immediately tired of the landscapes and gray monotony of the place.
The White Man’s Burden
5/5
The White Man’s Burden presents the paradoxical dichotomy of the colonizer and colonized. Civil servants having to go to the colonies to bring “Freedom” whilst being savage themselves and the guilt and profiteering associated with it.
An excellent poem.
Danny Deever
3/5
Soldiers march to the gallows to hang one of their own: Danny Deaver. The ballad is written in a question-and-answer form with soldiers asking their sergeant what it’s all about and reminiscing about Danny. An ok poem.
The Female of the Species
5/5
“For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.”
This rhyming poem describes several species of animals and humans as having the female sex more deadly than male counterparts. A really well-written poem!
The Thousandth Man
5/5
“Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call
For silver and gold in their dealings;
But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all
Because you can show him your feelings.“
One out of every thousand men will be your best friend and sink or swim with you. An excellent poem about loyalty and friendship.
The Glory of the Garden
4/5
An ode to England and its resplendent gardens. Very well written!
If
4/5
A poem about ‘being a Man’, but more so about stoicism. Treating triumphs and disasters with the same emotional intelligence. A great poem!
Recessional
2/5
A poem about the awe of the sea as it relates to naval warfare. It is a hymnal that calls for the salvation of seamen. Underwhelming for me.
L’Envoi (When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted)
3/5
A poem about painting God's creation for the express purpose of reverence rather than money or fame. A decent poem!
from Epitaphs of the War
3/5
“If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied.”
A collection of poems about The Great War (WWI). Some are great, some are underwhelming. Overall I liked them.
Gunga Din
4/5
“You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din”
A British regiment is fighting on the Indian subcontinent and have bhisti (water carriers) to help them with the struggle. The soldiers yell at the bhisti because they don’t get the water when they need/want it. The protagonist becomes injured during the battle and the bhisti Gunga Din saves him. He reflects on this and is more appreciative of the bhisti role and Gunga Din specifically.
A great poem!
The Virginity
5/5
You only lose your virginity once and that person stays with you. Similarly with a profession. Kipling draws a parallel between virginity and a retired seafarer who chooses to retire by the sea just in case they want to go out on the sea again. Just like the person who took your virginity is looked back upon.
A great poem!
The Ballad of East and West
3/5
A poem about chivalry and honor amongst men on opposite sides of a battle. An English officer and an Afghan horse thief show each other respect in this wonderful ballad.
Tommy
5/5
A story about a soldier who isn’t respected in civilian life, but is during wartime. This poem was written in 1890 and it still rings true!
The Roman Centurion’s Song
4/5
A centurion who's been serving in Britain for 40 years is ordered back “home” to Rome. His home however, is the British Isles.
A lamenting poem but well written!
Gentlemen Rankers
4/5
A soldier feels used and abused by society and is lamenting his wasted youth. He asks the reader why they wonder why he feels the need to drown himself in drink and drugs.
A somber but well-written poem.
Boots
2/5
A soldier talks about his marching through Africa by making a sing-song about his Boots. It’s quite annoying but it’s meant to be. The lines “Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different— / Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!” stuck with me because it was quite a lunatic’s poem.
The Conundrum of the Workshops
4/5
A biblical themed poem about Adam who creates things and the devil is asking “Is it Art?” to undermine the artist. An allegory to self-doubt; great poem.
Smuggler’s Song
3/5
A song about aiding smugglers in their tasks by keeping to oneself by turning a blind eye to their activities. Interesting but not exciting.
Mandalay
5/5
“On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!”
A poem about a British soldier who served in Burma and fell in love with it and with a Burmese girl. Upon returning to England, he hates it. He dislikes the crowdedness of London and the women are ugly.
The poem is great from a poetic perspective which is why I gave it 4 stars, however its theme rings a bit too imperialistic and chauvinistic for my tastes.
The Gods of the Copybook Headings
2/5
A poem on how Gods influence humanity throughout the ages. I didn’t find it very appealing.
The Betrothed
5/5
An excellent poem about a man’s love for cigars. His wife Maggie wants him to stop smoking and so he has to choose between his boxes of cigars and his betrothed.
‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’
3/5
A poem about the British imperialist soldiers fighting in Sudan against the locals. The bravery of the Sudanese are unmatched. The poem was too imperialist for me.
The Return
2/5
A soldier returns back to Britain and is immediately tired of the landscapes and gray monotony of the place.
The White Man’s Burden
5/5
The White Man’s Burden presents the paradoxical dichotomy of the colonizer and colonized. Civil servants having to go to the colonies to bring “Freedom” whilst being savage themselves and the guilt and profiteering associated with it.
An excellent poem.
Danny Deever
3/5
Soldiers march to the gallows to hang one of their own: Danny Deaver. The ballad is written in a question-and-answer form with soldiers asking their sergeant what it’s all about and reminiscing about Danny. An ok poem.
The Female of the Species
5/5
“For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.”
This rhyming poem describes several species of animals and humans as having the female sex more deadly than male counterparts. A really well-written poem!
The Thousandth Man
5/5
“Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call
For silver and gold in their dealings;
But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all
Because you can show him your feelings.“
One out of every thousand men will be your best friend and sink or swim with you. An excellent poem about loyalty and friendship.
The Glory of the Garden
4/5
An ode to England and its resplendent gardens. Very well written!
If
4/5
A poem about ‘being a Man’, but more so about stoicism. Treating triumphs and disasters with the same emotional intelligence. A great poem!
Recessional
2/5
A poem about the awe of the sea as it relates to naval warfare. It is a hymnal that calls for the salvation of seamen. Underwhelming for me.
L’Envoi (When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted)
3/5
A poem about painting God's creation for the express purpose of reverence rather than money or fame. A decent poem!
from Epitaphs of the War
3/5
“If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied.”
A collection of poems about The Great War (WWI). Some are great, some are underwhelming. Overall I liked them.
April 23, 2021
Masterfully narrated by Robert Glenister and Michael Maloney, this well-produced audiobook of Kiplings’ selected poems offers a judicious sampling of his more famous works, from “If” to “We and They.” Kiplings’ extraordinary genius for depicting everyday life in India under British Colonial rule offers poignant glimpses of the beauty and brutality of that life and expresses the poet’s ambivalence about colonialism, though he staunchly believed “All the people like us are We,/ And every one else is They.”
Favorite poems:
“If”
“Mandalay”
“Gunga Din”
“Danny Deever”
“Schillin’ a Day”
“Epitaphs of the War”
“We and They”
Favorite poems:
“If”
“Mandalay”
“Gunga Din”
“Danny Deever”
“Schillin’ a Day”
“Epitaphs of the War”
“We and They”
April 3, 2018
Good selection of his poetry, mixing the terrific likes of "Ballad of East and West" and "Tommy" with "White Man's Burden" and others showing his colonialist and misogynist attitudes. Such a great versifier, though...and the readers deliver decently.
May 3, 2020
It was nice to hear Kipling's most famous poems read well. What a beautiful language English is!
December 1, 2021
Good selections, beautifully read. Brought back happy memories of my childhood when my dad would recite ‘Gunga Din’ during long car rides (yeah, it was a weird childhood:).
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January 19, 2022Audiobook via Libby App
June 19, 2025
Lovely to hear such great poems read aloud. Such powerful words that withstand the test of time.
September 17, 2024
If- is one of the best poems about human character I've ever read. Surely, something to strive for. Exemplifies well the inspirational and aspirational nature of fine poetry.
Also, the reading of If- on the audiobook version of this collection, which starts at 1:00:43 is one of the best recordings of the poem as well. Great depth and tenor.
Also, the reading of If- on the audiobook version of this collection, which starts at 1:00:43 is one of the best recordings of the poem as well. Great depth and tenor.
Read
June 6, 2017Listening to this as an audio book I was glad to have the spoken word aspect. The rhythm of the poems really come through.
The synopsis for the collection euphemistically refers to it as a "product of the colonial era" by which it means that this collection contains the now appalling "White Man's Burden" among its other offerings. It also has a poem that was new to me called "Fuzzy Wuzzy" which led me down an internet search rabbit hole where I learned that the term I remember from the nursery rhyme of the same name was a nasty slang term for the Sudanese Mahdi warriors. So yes, product of the colonial era from problematic author. It's good to confront history every once and awhile, especially when there are still parallels of the beliefs behind Kipling's more racist work in contemporary times.
The synopsis for the collection euphemistically refers to it as a "product of the colonial era" by which it means that this collection contains the now appalling "White Man's Burden" among its other offerings. It also has a poem that was new to me called "Fuzzy Wuzzy" which led me down an internet search rabbit hole where I learned that the term I remember from the nursery rhyme of the same name was a nasty slang term for the Sudanese Mahdi warriors. So yes, product of the colonial era from problematic author. It's good to confront history every once and awhile, especially when there are still parallels of the beliefs behind Kipling's more racist work in contemporary times.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews